UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is an avid follower of other sports as well; not just MMA. As fans know, the Russian athlete admires Michael Jordan. In a conversation with Bob Menery from the ‘Full Send Podcast’, Khabib had promised Menery three sheep in exchange for getting to meet the famous basketball player.
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However, Michael Jordan is not the only athlete he admires. ‘The Eagle’ also has a deep respect for boxing legend, Muhammad Ali. According to him, Ali is the best athlete.
In a recent interview, Khabib said, “I learned a lot from Muhammad Ali and for me, he is the best athlete of all time. Nobody like, nobody even close what he did for his people when he was champion and these guys take from him his best three years; best of his age.”
“They take off his belt I think in like three or something like, they put him in jail, you know. It’s like when he was young, when he was Olympic champion.”
Further, Khabib thinks that nobody can do what Ali did and for Khabib, he will stay number one. However, this is not the first time Khabib has appreciated Ali’s skills and career. Earlier, the former UFC lightweight champion had appeared on Mike Tyson’s podcast where he had several great things to say.
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Tyson and Khabib thus bonded over their mutual admiration for Muhammad Ali.
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During the podcast with Mike Tyson, Khabib praised Ali and had only positive words for him. Tyson agreed that he was one of the biggest boxers. In fact, Ali has been a great inspiration for Tyson to become a boxer. In addition to this, Tyson also won against Larry Holmes- the very fighter who had defeated Ali. ‘Iron’ thus, avenged Ali’s loss.
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA SEPTEMBER 2, 2021: Mixed martial artist Khabib Nurmagomedov speaks at the 2nd New Knowledge educational marathon (forum). The New Knowledge Forum runs from 1 to 3 September 2021 as a new school year begins in Russia. Artyom Geodakyan/TASS (Photo by Artyom GeodakyanTASS via Getty Images)
Similarly, Khabib Nurmagomedov too has taken much inspiration from him. While Ali may have passed away, his contribution to the arena of combat sports lives on as he continues to inspire fighters.
Do you are with Khabib’s comments on Muhammad Ali? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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